Soccer UpReview

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A simple sim with some unexpectedly complex ball physics.

By Lucas M. Thomas

It's not too often that WiiWare gets straightforward sports sims, but Soccer Up presents about as simple a soccer-playing package as possible. This is vanilla soccer gaming. No frills. No complicated controls.

What's most interesting about this particular version of video game soccer, though, is its ball physics – given the game's cartoony visuals, you'd probably expect a more arcade feel to the game flow with the ball quickly getting "glued" to the feet of the player currently possessing it (as tons of past soccer titles have done.) But here, that's not the case. The ball is an independent beast, bouncing and rolling and spinning around just as normal physics dictates it should – no video gamey assistance makes it any easier to control.

Soccer Up becomes less of a simple and straightforward soccer experience in this one aspect, then, as you have to unlearn some of what older games have taught you and instead focus on maintaining good ball control as you run, pass and shoot across the field. It's different. I think some soccer players will enjoy it, but others may be turned off by the change and just head back to the safety of older titles like Mario Strikers Charged.

Soccer Up is rounded out by an option to use Mii characters as your in-game athletes, but the camera angle's pulled out too wide for you to really notice the difference. There are a couple of different control options, a handful of A.I. strategies that you can re-assign on the fly to alter the behavior of your fellow players and multiplayer for up to four people. A general array of extras, those.

Soccer Up

Soccer Up is a funny soccer game that allows you a total control of any action of your team players.